1. Field of the Invention
In general the invention relates to dispensing, more specifically a modular multicompartment dispenser including fluid discharge means for one or more of the compartments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Advantages provided by ganged dispensers for delivering a plurality of different fluids, over use of a collection of supply containers in various sizes and shapes as purchased and arranged at the user site, have been recognized for over 25 years.
Two advantages are elimination of dispenser clutter at the user site, and cost saving. Cost saving is achieved by purchasing each product in larger more economical sizes than would be acceptable, if smaller purchased containers were arranged at the user site.
S. W. Klutz, Jr., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,873, patented Apr. 28, 1964 discloses a dispensing cabinet for a plurality of independently operated pressurized cans for such products as toothpastes, shaving creams, hand lotions, soaps and other fluid materials.
He provides a cabinet which stores the valved cans so that the contents of the cans may be dispensed from within the cabinet by remote operation of the valves. For this he describes a housing for receiving a plurality of cans. A hinged section of the front wall of the housing drops forward for receiving the cans. Each can includes a modified spout and valve structure. The spout includes a substantially elongated portion which connects with the conventional discharge tube of the can, and which extends through a hole in the front wall for dispensing the product. A knob extension is included on the conventional valve actuator flat surface, for engagement by an individually aligned valve actuator mechanism that is mounted on the housing.
The valve actuator mechanism includes a spring return plunger having a button outside the housing which may be pushed by an operator desiring a serving of the product. The actuator mechanism is designed and mounted for operation by vertical pressure on the button by the operator or designed and mounted for horizontal operator pressure. In the vertical design the button moves with the actuator mechanism axially to engage the knob. In the horizontal design the actuator mechanism engages the knob by way of a lobe of a downwardly oriented cam. The cam is radial to a shaft upon which it is located. The shaft is axially driven by the button and oriented so that the cam engages the knob for downward actuation when the shaft is driven toward the back wall of the housing. The spring return retracts the engaging portions of the valve actuator mechanism sufficiently to permit installation of the can without engagement by the mechanism.
J. W. Schneller, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,967, patented Oct. 31, 1967 discloses a housing with a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings through the upper surface of the housing for receiving therethrough a plurality of plunger-type pump assemblies. Each pump assembly is held in place in one of the openings by adhesive, and further by the threads of a container in which it resides. The plunger and spout of the assembly is held thereby above the upper surface, with the spout extending forward of the front of the housing, each opening being labeled on the front panel of the housing, below the respective spout, with the name of product being dispensed by the spout, i.e., hair grooming, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. The containers which may be empty baby food jars or the like, are filled with product from the packaging in which it is purchased. The front wall of the housing is attached to the housing by hinges. To load the housing, the front wall is hinged down to receive the filled container which is pushed upward into the proper threaded opening in the upper surface of the housing and screwed up into place against the sealing flange of the pump mechanism.
The present invention provides an expandable modular system comprising less parts than the prior art systems. Beyond the cost savings provided by buying the product which it dispenses in bulk for filling the system, it reduces the amount of waste from leavings of product in the bulk containers by providing for complete draining of the bulk containers into the system even while it is being used.
The system is expandable to any convenient number of fluid dispensing stations, as well as to stations for temporary storage of convenient items such as tools, a comb or a toothbrush and toothpaste.
In the present invention, pump assemblies for dispensing fluid from a module are oriented for reduction of harmful stress on the module wall when they are operated, and for easy access by one hand of the user simultaneously to the pump and to the product it dispenses.